Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

Chapter 155 Division and Disintegration

The devastating news of the fall of Longyou struck like a hammer blow against the walls of Guzang, shattering Han Sui's last shred of composure. After the initial shock and rage, a chilling, visceral unease and a more twisted sense of suspicion took their place.

The Xinghuo Army was able to cross the border, pass through Zhang Heng's defense zone, launch a surprise attack without anyone noticing, and take Longyou in one fell swoop! This is simply unbelievable! The only explanation is that there was a traitor! And not just any traitor, but a heavyweight traitor who could provide secret passages, accurate intelligence, and even support from within the city!

"Zhang Heng! It must be Zhang Heng!" Han Sui roared in the secret chamber of the palace, his eyes bloodshot. "He's been in cahoots with Xinghuo Fortress for a long time! What disobedience and self-defense? He's clearly surrendering to the enemy and offering up his own territory! And Cheng Yin! That scoundrel's attitude is ambiguous. Jincheng isn't far from Longyou, he must be involved too! Traitors! They're all traitors! I will exterminate their entire clan!"

His few remaining trusted advisors remained silent, hesitant to speak. The loss of Longyou was too devastating, directly severing Xiliang, cutting off Guzang's connection with its eastern territories, and resulting in the loss of a large amount of stockpiled grain, fodder, and military equipment. The situation had deteriorated rapidly, reaching a critical juncture of life and death.

"Your Majesty, please calm your anger," a more experienced strategist said, forcing a smile. "Zhang Heng and Cheng Yin may have ulterior motives, but the Xinghuo Army has only recently gained control of Longyou and its foothold is not yet secure. Their main force, Chen Wei's troops, is ultimately limited in strength. The most urgent task is to immediately gather a large army, advance eastward to recapture Longyou, open up key routes, and annihilate or drive out this detachment of the Xinghuo Army! At the same time, strictly order Zhang Heng and Cheng Yin to launch a pincer attack. If they disobey, it will be considered a confirmed act of rebellion, and then we can punish them then!"

"A pincer attack?" Han Sui sneered, his smile sinister. "Let them join forces with the Xinghuo Army to attack me? They might actually be hoping I'll transfer my main force to Longyou so they can launch a surprise attack on Guzang!"

He trusted no one, especially Zhang Heng and Cheng Yin. In his current obsessive mind, all non-direct subordinate generals were branded as "potential traitors." Send troops to Longyou? What if their rear was undefended and Zhang Heng seized their base? Moreover, the movements of Chen Xing's main force at Xinghuo Fortress were unclear; could it be a diversionary tactic?

Just then, new "evidence" was "discovered" by the "Wolf Guards" in an almost coincidental way and presented to Han Sui.

These were fragments of secret letters discovered in a hidden compartment of a secret room while cleaning out Yang Qiu's residence in Guzang City. The letters were written in coded language, but after being deciphered by the "experts" of the Wolf Guard, their contents were shocking: the letters mentioned the position of "General Who Conquers the West" and the promise of "eternal garrisoning of Longxi" promised to Zhang Heng by Xinghuo Fortress; they mentioned the details of the defense of Jincheng secretly passed on by Cheng Yin; and they even vaguely mentioned that "Pang Lingming" was acting as an inside agent in Guzang, agreeing to "launch an uprising in the city when the royal army advances eastward!"

Pang Lingming? Pang De?!

Han Sui's pupils constricted upon seeing the name. Pang De, a former subordinate of Ma Teng, renowned for his bravery, had been demoted by Han Sui to guard the western granary and harbored a deep resentment... Yes, it was him! It must be him! Only a valiant general like him could create enough chaos within Guzang City!

The handwriting on these fragments of "secret letters" is remarkably well-imitated, the content is a mixture of truth and falsehood, and the timing of their appearance is shockingly clever. They perfectly confirm and amplify Han Sui's deepest fear—the traitor is not only outside, but also right beside him! And the most dangerous and deadly internal threat!

"Pang De...you Pang Lingming!" Han Sui gritted his teeth, his face contorted with rage. "I spared your life out of consideration for your past minor merits, only stripping you of your military power. Yet you dared to collude with foreign enemies and plot treason! You still intend to cause trouble in Guzang? Wolf Guards! Immediately arrest Pang De and all his former subordinates! Torture them severely and extract their accomplices!"

"Your Majesty! Although Colonel Pang is arrogant, he has always been loyal and honest. This matter may be a trap..." A general who had some acquaintance with Pang De tried to dissuade him.

"Loyal and upright? Merely Ma Teng's loyal dog!" Han Sui interrupted sharply. "The evidence is irrefutable, yet you dare to argue? Are you perhaps an accomplice too? Arrest them all!"

After these words were spoken, no one dared to offer any further advice. Faced with Han Sui's hysterical rage and "conclusive evidence," any voice defending Pound was seen as a sign of rebellion.

When the ferocious "Wolf Guards" stormed into the West Gate granary camp, Pound was wiping his long sword, which hadn't tasted blood in a long time. Seeing the fully armed Wolf Guards and the cold shackles, he was first stunned, then understood, and let out a long, indignant laugh.

"Hahaha! Han Wenyue! Han Wenyue! You really can't tolerate me, Pang De! You can't tolerate any of the old members of the Ma family! You don't need any accusation of colluding with foreign enemies; you've wanted to kill me for a long time! Today, you've just found an excuse!"

He did not surrender, but stood with his sword drawn, eyes blazing with fury. The imposing aura of the former top general under the "White Horse General" surged forth, causing the wolf guards to hesitate to advance. "I, Pang De, stand tall and upright, worthy of General Ma, and without shame before Xiliang! If you wish to kill me today, go ahead! But if you want to smear me as a traitor, forget it!"

Conflict was inevitable. Pang De, with his exceptional martial skills and unparalleled bravery, coupled with utter despair for Han Sui and a death wish, led a small number of loyal guards in a fierce battle against the Wolf Guard and Han Sui's elite troops who arrived later, in the granary camp. Like a trapped beast, he charged left and right, his blade finding no equal, carving a bloody path through the enemy ranks, but his personal guards also fell one by one.

In the end, Pang De, wounded multiple times and with his battle robe stained with blood, led only a dozen or so riders to break through the encirclement and head straight for the west gate of Guzang. Among the gatekeepers, there were those who had received favors from Ma Teng in the past or who admired Pang De's character. They secretly let him pass through the blockade and disappeared into the vast night, their whereabouts unknown.

When the news reached the royal palace, Han Sui flew into a rage. He not only severely punished the general guarding the west gate but also took his anger out on all the generals and officials connected with Ma Teng's former subordinates. In an instant, a climate of fear gripped Guzang City. Arrests, tortures, and purges were rampant, and everyone lived in constant fear, their lives hanging by a thread. The already crumbling Western Liang ruling group began to disintegrate rapidly from within.

All of this was meticulously recorded by Jia Wen's "spies," who were lurking deeper within Guzang City and whose presence was even beyond the grasp of Li Shu's regular network. These spy agents then quickly transmitted the information through special channels.

Almost simultaneously with Pang De's breakout and the purge in Guzang, letters of surrender, personally written by Jia Wen and bearing Chen Xing's seal, were delivered to Zhang Heng in Longxi and Cheng Yin in Jincheng in the fastest and safest way.

The letter to Zhang Heng was strongly worded yet contained enticing bait: "Han Sui is tyrannical, suspicious and murderous of loyal officials, as evidenced by the case of Pang De. General, you possess considerable military power, but you cannot hold up the battle alone. With Longyou now under your control and Guzang's gates wide open, Han Sui lives in constant fear and his destruction is imminent. If you raise the banner of righteousness now and join forces with Xinghuo to strike at this tyrannical regime, then when Liangzhou is pacified, Longxi and even Hexi can become your base of defense, and Xinggong will not hesitate to bestow upon you a title of nobility. If you hesitate and wait, and wait for the heavenly army to sweep away your stronghold, everything will be destroyed, and it will be too late to regret it."

The letter to Cheng Yin focused more on appeasement and enticement: "The Captain is a man of great principle and has been secretly communicating with us. Xing Gong and Wen are aware of this, which is very gratifying. Now, Han Sui is acting against the will of Heaven, his followers have turned against him, Pang De has suffered a calamity, and Guzang is in bloodshed. This is the time of Heaven's destruction. The Captain holds the key to Jincheng. At this critical moment, if you can openly change your allegiance, issue a proclamation, and pacify Jincheng, you can not only save your life and the lives of your family and soldiers, but also achieve unparalleled merit. When the time comes to reward your merits, you will be granted land and titles, no less than Zhang Heng. The opportunity is fleeting, so we hope the Captain will make a swift decision."

The two letters, like two drops of cold water precisely thrown into boiling oil, created the final ripples in Zhang Heng and Cheng Yin's already turbulent hearts.

When Zhang Heng received the letter, he was already shocked by the swiftness of the Xinghuo Army's conquest of Longyou and the news of Han Sui's brutal purge in Guzang. The Xinghuo Army's strength far exceeded his expectations, while Han Sui's madness had thoroughly chilled his heart and made him wary. The letter's phrases "a single tree cannot support a forest" and "mutual destruction" resonated with his concerns, while the promise of "Longxi and even Hexi" stirred his heart. Should he continue to be a rebel who could be wiped out by Han Sui at any moment? Or should he join the clearly more powerful and "rule-abiding" Xinghuo Fortress and gamble on a greater future?

Cheng Yin's situation was even more delicate. He had already secretly pledged allegiance, but had been observing the situation. Pang De's fate made him feel a sense of shared vulnerability, while the Xinghuo Army's swift victory over Longyou demonstrated their ruthless methods. Jia Wen's letter urged him to fulfill his "promise" and turn his secret allegiance into a public uprising. The risk was enormous, but the rewards were equally tempting. "To be granted land and titles, how could I be inferior to Zhang Heng?" This sentence deeply stirred him. If that brute Zhang Heng could be promised a high position, was he destined to remain hidden in the shadows forever?

Just as Zhang Heng and Cheng Yin were struggling with their inner conflict and weighing the pros and cons, another explosive piece of news arrived, like the last straw that broke the camel's back, or the last spark that ignited dry tinder—

After purging Pang De's remaining followers, driven by extreme fear and suspicion, Han Sui made an even more foolish and fatal decision: he concluded that Zhang Heng and Cheng Yin had colluded with Xinghuo Fortress and were a more dangerous threat than Pang De. Instead of attempting to appease or lure them, he directly issued a punitive order! He appointed his trusted general Yan Xing as commander-in-chief and Liang Xing as deputy commander, mobilizing all available troops near Guzang, claiming 50,000 men, dividing them into two routes: one eastward to "recover Longyou," and the other southward to attack Jincheng and punish the "traitor" Cheng Yin! At the same time, he strictly ordered Zhang Heng to immediately lead his troops to join Yan Xing in attacking the Xinghuo Army in Longyou, to "atone for his crimes through meritorious service." Any further disobedience would be considered treason and he would be punished as well!

When the order reached Zhang Heng and Cheng Yin, the two of them smashed their cups almost simultaneously.

"Han Sui, you old dog! You've gone too far!" Zhang Heng roared in fury. "You want me to fight the Xinghuo Army to the death, to be his scapegoat? If I don't comply, he'll attack me? Fine! Since that's how it is, then don't blame me, Zhang Heng, for being ruthless!"

"Attack me?" Cheng Yin's face turned deathly pale, then flushed with a sickly redness—a fierce rage erupting from despair. "I haven't even publicly rebelled against you, and you're already trying to destroy me? Han Wenyue, you're forcing me to rebel!"

Thus, under Jia Wen's meticulously orchestrated schemes of sowing discord, Han Sui successfully pushed all non-loyal forces, and even those who might have been allies, to the opposite side, and personally ignited the flames of war against them. Within Xiliang, the undercurrents were no longer subtle, but a completely open division and civil war!

Without further hesitation, Zhang Heng tore up Han Sui's edict, beheaded the envoy, and officially raised the banner of rebellion. He immediately dispatched his trusted confidant with his personal letter and intention to "cooperate" to Chen Wei in Longyou.

Cheng Yin had no choice but to replace the "Star" flag he had prepared with the flag at Jinchengtou just as Yan Xing's army was about to besiege the city. He then publicly issued a proclamation, denouncing Han Sui as "dull and tyrannical, slaughtering loyal and good people, incurring the wrath of Heaven and the resentment of the people." He announced that Jincheng and its subordinate counties had submitted to Star Lord Chen Xing and urgently sought help from Longyou and Chen Xing's headquarters.

The Western Liang, a once powerful separatist force that dominated the northwest, finally collapsed completely under the dual blows of internal distrust and external scheming. Han Sui, deserted by his followers, almost single-handedly "successfully" transformed himself into a lonely figure surrounded by enemies.

Chen Xing, who was stationed at Xinghuo Fortress and keeping a close eye on the situation in Xiliang, couldn't help but clap his hands in admiration when he received the latest intelligence from Jia Wenhe: "Wenhe's plan is truly unpredictable! Han Sui has destroyed his own Great Wall, saving me so much effort!"

Jia Wen smiled slightly and said calmly, "My lord, the time is ripe. Han Sui's main force has been mobilized and divided into two parts, leaving the interior vulnerable and in disarray. Zhang Heng has raised an army, and Cheng Yin has surrendered, leaving the gates of Liangzhou wide open. Now is the best time for our army to advance westward and pacify Liangzhou in one fell swoop."

Chen Xing abruptly stood up, his eyes gleaming: "Send the order! All troops assemble! Target—Guzang!"